Thread by @milessuter

Bitcoiners around the 🌎, time for us to rally together.

What follows is a story of real world bitcoin adoption in the developing world, improving lives and enabling dreams.

One that in a sudden flash turned to tragedy, and now requires our attention. First, the background:

.@Bitcoinbeach is a first of its kind global experiment, attempting to kickstart a circular bitcoin economy in the name of financial inclusion and economic empowerment within a small community on the coast of El Salvador

https://twitter.com/milessuter/status/1283189292819341312

I spent most of 2021 in El Zonte learning about & helping the program.

Recently the bitcoin community has taken notice of El Zonte. As have bitcoin companies such as @ln_strike which launched their first non-US market in El Salvador in March nasdaq.com/articles/strik…

A dream of bitcoin has always been adoption by those in emerging markets to preserve and grow their wealth within a new, global system - one that exists outside of their local government.

In El Zonte this is increasingly a reality, and bitcoiners around the world are captivated.

2021 is the 1st year that surfing is an official sport at the Olympics.

On 3/19 the Men’s & Women’s Salvadoran surf teams signed their 1st ever paid contracts.

These contracts, denominated in satoshis, made them the 1st ever national sports team to be funded solely by bitcoin.

2021 is also the first time El Salvador is hosting a major competition - the final Olympic Qualifier at the end of May - where the best surfers in the world will descend onto a country that is still struggling to regain its reputation after a brutal civil war almost 30 years ago.

Despite the dangerous reputation of the country, surfing is something that brings the country together and inspires hope. Coastal tourism, world class waves and modern infrastructure are bringing much needed economic activity & positive image change to this country of 6m people.

Surfing also keeps kids growing up in poverty, such as current Salvadoran national champion Bryan Pérez, from joining MS-13 in their youth. vice.com/en/article/3an…

Lastly, surfing unites much of the economically depressed coastal communities, and alongside bitcoin offers a vision of a brighter future for the Salvadoran people.

However, what started as a joyful day - signing an inaugural contract to train for the world championships without worrying about money or work for the first time - turned into a tragic moment that impacted the entire country.

Later that same day, Katherine Diaz, the 22 year old female Olympic hopeful who just signed her first ever contract - paid in bitcoin - was struck and killed by lightning in a flash storm at sunset. edition.cnn.com/2021/03/22/spo…

The town, the community, and the entire country are still in shock from this tragedy.

You could hear a pin drop all along the coast that Friday evening and the entire weekend.

Katherine’s energy was infectious, and she was an inspiration to everyone she crossed paths with.

She was the local ambassador; the reason pro surfers from other countries would come to El Salvador.

The paddle out tribute that was paid to her was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

As the world’s first truly global money, bitcoin has no capital or national home.

However, El Salvador is becoming a location that the bitcoin community - scattered across the world, congregated online but united in the mission to make the world a better place - is rooting for.

In a moment of darkness there is opportunity to create a positive; to lift up a team and country that has never had the support they deserve; and to create the world’s first national sports team that bitcoiners around the world can champion.

With negative narratives in the mainstream press again gaining steam, bitcoiners the world over have an opportunity to show the values that we care about, that real adoption is happening, and that bitcoin does have the power to bring meaningful change to those who need it most.

The Salvadoran Surf Team has no physical location to train or gather as a community.

After consulting with her family we set out to coordinate a global fundraising campaign to build a permanent surf training and community center - funded entirely in bitcoin and named after Katy.

Our target is 10 Bitcoin in order to secure the land, build out the facility, and fund programs for the current and future generations of Salvadoran surfers.

I’m honored to share that @CashApp is contributing $100k in bitcoin to kickstart this initiative - but we need your help!

Funds will be collected in bitcoin, and distributed in bitcoin to the Katy Diaz Surf Foundation non-profit that we have set up for this purpose.

USD can be sent to $KatyDiazMemorial on Cash App, to be converted into bitcoin upon receipt.

We intend to fund much of this project in bitcoin directly - from the construction materials to the wages of the builders.

Giving in #Bitcoin directly will again showcase 🇸🇻 leading the way.

On-chain:

3HXtR3p8y7psfZ34cRAbQoekAvaqBdRzxG

Lightning:

strike.me/KatyDiaz

If you’d like to make a large donation and have proper documentation for tax purposes I encourage you to use this link: platform.engiven.com/give/8/widget/…

Regardless if you are an OG or a class of ‘21 sat stacker, bitcoin has been good to all hodlers this year. Please consider making a contribution towards #Sats4Katy

Together we can honor Katy’s memory & show the world how the #Bitcoin community steps up and supports its own 🇸🇻🏄‍♀️